Saints Activate CB Alontae Taylor From IR
The Saints are adding some reinforcement to their secondary. The team announced that cornerback Alontae Taylor has been activated from injured reserve. In preparation for tonight’s game, the team has also promoted cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and wide receiver Kevin White from the practice squad. Wideout Keith Kirkwood was cut from the active roster to make space.
Taylor suffered a sprained MCL prior to Week 3, landing him on injured reserve. The rookie second-round pick ended up spending the minimum amount of time on IR before being designated to return earlier this week. The Tennessee product exclusively played on special teams during his NFL debut, but he got more run on defense in Week 2.
His return couldn’t come at a better time for a depleted Saints cornerbacks corps. Marshon Lattimore is sidelined and Paulson Adebo is questionable for tonight’s game, leaving the team thin at CB. The rookie probably won’t help relieve a secondary that’s allowing 189 yards per game to receivers, but he should at least provide some additional depth at the position.
Harris should also help in that regard, with the veteran cornerback now earning his third promotion since joining the Saints practice squad earlier this month. Harris got the start for the Saints in Week 6, finishing with eight tackles.
Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry are both out for the Saints, leaving rookie Chris Olave as the team’s top wideout. White could get some reps at the position, with the former first-round pick having seen time in seven games for New Orleans over the past two seasons (albeit with only one catch). Kirkwood got into two games for the Saints this season, hauling in a pair of catches.
Cardinals Place WR Marquise Brown On IR, Activate G Cody Ford
Hopes for a DeAndre Hopkins–Robbie Anderson–Marquise Brown trio will be on hold for a while. The Cardinals moved Brown to IR on Thursday, sidelining the diminutive playmaker for at least four weeks.
Brown received a second opinion on his foot injury Wednesday, and Dr. Robert Anderson confirmed a four- to six-week recovery timetable. Brown will be shut down until close to December. His injury led to the Cardinals making the trade for Anderson, whose Panthers stock cratered after his Week 6 banishment.
The Cardinals are also not wasting much time with Cody Ford. Just two days after the recent trade acquisition returned to practice, the Cards activated him from IR. This marks Arizona’s third injury activation this season. Ford will take the roster spot of Justin Pugh. An ACL tear sent the veteran guard to IR.
Arizona is also promoting Rodrigo Blankenship to its gameday 55-man roster, along with running back Corey Clement. Signed on Tuesday, Blankenship is in position to work as Arizona’s latest Matt Prater fill-in option. Prater has missed the past two games due to a hip injury. Matt Ammendola kicked in his place during that span, but the Cards are making a change here. Arizona has yet to rule out Prater, but the veteran kicker did not practice this week.
Hopkins will make his 2022 debut tonight, after serving a six-game PED suspension. The Cardinals traded for Brown during the draft, but news of Hopkins’ ban broke shortly after. Brown is under contract through 2023, like Anderson, but the former’s status is more assured beyond 2022. Tonight, however, it will be Anderson teaming with Hopkins. That said, ESPN.com’s Ed Werder notes the recently acquired receiver will only have a package of plays (Twitter link). A 10-15% snap share is expected for the former Jets and Panthers wideout.
Pugh’s injury opens the door for Ford, who joins Brown and Kyler Murray as Oklahoma alums chosen in the 2019 draft. Unlike the better-known ex-Sooners, Ford is in a contract year. The Bills shipped the underwhelming guard to the Cardinals for a fifth-round pick.
A 2019 second-rounder, Ford has made 29 career starts. It is not a lock he adds to that total soon, with the Cards having veteran eighth-year vet Max Garcia in the fold opposite Will Hernandez. But Ford provides decent depth for a team that suddenly needs it up front. Ford, who suffered an ankle injury not long after the Cardinals traded for him, joins Billy Price as notable Cardinals O-line depth pieces.
Dolphins Place CB Nik Needham, LB Trey Flowers On IR
The Dolphins placed a pair of defenders on IR today. The team announced that linebacker Trey Flowers and cornerback Nik Needham have landed on injured reserve.
[RELATED: Dolphins CB Nik Needham Suffers Torn Achilles]
Needham’s placement on IR isn’t a surprise. The defensive back suffered a torn Achilles during Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, ending his season. Needham was operating as a starter in 2022, filling in for Byron Jones while the veteran continues to recover from his own Achilles tear. The 25-year-old is set to be a free agent following the season after being hit with a second-round tender this past offseason.
Miami’s current grouping of healthy cornerbacks includes Justin Bethel, Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene, and Kader Kohou, with defensive backs Elijah Campbell and Keion Crossen also candidates to get snaps at the position. Crossen missed practice today while Kohou and Howard were limited.
Flowers left Sunday’s game with a foot issue, and the injury was apparently so severe that it’ll knock him off the field for at least the next four games. Miami has a bye week in Week 11, making Week 12 a potential return date for the veteran linebacker.
After three disappointing seasons in Detroit, Flowers joined the Dolphins in August. He saw time in four games, although his playing time was inconsistent. He had a significant role during Miami’s Week 3 win over the Bills, a game that saw him collect a pair of tackles. Andrew Van Ginkel could see a jump in snaps with Flowers out of the lineup.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Released: S Richard LeCounte
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Stanley Berryhill
- Placed on IR: DB Saivion Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Kawaan Baker
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Ron’Dell Carter
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Easop Winston
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE David Wells
Washington Commanders
- Signed: RB Alex Armah
- Released: OT Christian DiLauro
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/22
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated to return: LB Joe Bachie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Designated to return: CB Anthony Averett, WR DJ Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed off Chiefs practice squad: OLB Benton Whitley
New England Patriots
- Signed off Ravens practice squad: WR Raleigh Webb
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated to return: OT Josh Wells
Packers Designate WR Sammy Watkins For Return
With Randall Cobb likely headed to IR, the other non-rookie-contract wideout in Green Bay’s receiving corps may be coming back to the active roster. Sammy Watkins will practice Wednesday with the Packers, starting his three-week window to return from IR.
Watkins went down with a hamstring injury in Week 2, so this week represented the ninth-year veteran’s first crack at practicing. This return to work is certainly a good sign for the Packers and their injury-prone wideout, who could come off IR as soon as this week. Matt LaFleur stopped short of guaranteeing that will happen, citing conditioning, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
On a third team in three years, Watkins signed a one-year deal worth $1.85MM to join the Packers. They are his fifth NFL squad. The former No. 4 overall pick has not played a full season since his rookie year and has missed at least two games in each of the past five seasons. A hamstring injury caused him to miss five games in 2020 as well.
Prior to his injury, Watkins caught six passes for 111 yards. He totaled 394 yards in 13 Ravens games last season. He topped 500 during each of his first two Chiefs years and aided the 2019 Super Bowl-winning team with 288 in those playoffs.
The Packers also played without rookie second-rounder Christian Watson due to a hamstring ailment this week, while Cobb was carted off due to a significant (but not season-ending) ankle issue. Injury concerns notwithstanding, Watkins will be a welcome addition to a Green Bay receiving corps that continues to generate concern. The team is believed to be pursuing pass-catching upgrades ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: TE MyCole Pruitt
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: TE Charlie Kolar
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: LB Chandler Wooten
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Waived: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Dakota Allen
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: S Cody Davis
New Orleans Saints
- Designated for return from IR: CB Alontae Taylor
Washington Commanders
- Released from IR: OL Willie Beavers
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Released: WR Stanley Berryhill
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DT Kobe Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Brandon Copeland, LB Julian Stanford
- Released: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, WR Slade Bolden
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown, DE Delontae Scott, DT Raequan Williams
- Released: TE Josh Babicz, DE Austin Larkin, TE John Lovett
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Innis Gaines
- Released: CB Benjie Franklin, LB Ray Wilborn
Houston Texans
- Signed: S C.J. Moore
- Released: CB BoPete Keyes
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Deionte Thompson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Kyle Nelson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB La’Mical Perine
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Myles Dorn
- Released: S Mike Brown
New England Patriots
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Jake Luton, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: DT Christian Ringo
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Conor McDermott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jason Huntley, WR Josh Malone
- Released: S Scott Nelson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Kurt Benkert, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Released: LB Buddy Johnson, K Sam Sloman
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: OL Justin Skule
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kyron Brown, DB Steven Parker
- Released: DB Nate Brooks
Washington Commanders
- Released: DT Donovan Jeter
Cardinals Sign K Rodrigo Blankenship, Designate OL Cody Ford For Return
Matt Prater has missed the Cardinals’ past two games. If he is unable to go in Arizona’s short week, the team will roll out a third (fourth if Eno Benjamin‘s emergency kickoffs are counted) kicker this season.
A day after releasing Matt Ammendola from their practice squad, the Cardinals replaced him with Rodrigo Blankenship. Should a promotion to the team’s 55-man gameday roster ensue, this will be Blankenship’s first action since the Colts cut him earlier this season. Prater, who is battling a hip injury, has not practiced this week.
The Colts made Blankenship their full-time Adam Vinatieri successor in 2020, but a 2021 injury and a rough start to this season changed the organization’s plans. The 2019 Lou Groza award winner while at Georgia, who played one game with the Colts this season, worked out for the Cardinals earlier this month. But the team signed Ammendola, using the brief Chief as its Prater fill-in. Ammendola, who has been with three teams since August, is now out to make room for Blankenship.
In addition to missing a game-tying field goal try against the Eagles, Ammendola missed an extra point against the Seahawks on Sunday. Blankenship missed an overtime field goal in the Colts’ season-opening tie and sent two kickoffs out of bounds in that game. The Colts’ primary kickoff man, punter Rigoberto Sanchez, being on IR forced Blankenship into the kickoff role for that contest. During his full season with the Colts in 2020, Blankenship went 32 of 37 on field goals and 43 of 45 on PATs.
Additionally, the Cardinals designated guard Cody Ford for return. The fourth-year blocker has not yet debuted for his new team, having suffered an ankle injury not long after the Cards acquired him from the Bills. Ford can be activated before this week’s game, but Arizona has three weeks from today to make that transaction. If Ford is not activated in that span, he reverts to season-ending IR. The Cardinals have used two of their eight allotted injury activations thus far.
Ravens To Sign WR DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson‘s Ravens visit has produced an agreement. The 14-year veteran wide receiver is signing with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It is a practice squad agreement, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com notes.
Although Jackson said this offseason he was pondering retirement, he re-emerged recently indicating he was still on the market. The Ravens will be the deep threat’s sixth NFL team. At 35, Jackson will also become the NFL’s oldest active wideout.
The Ravens have No. 1 wideout Rashod Bateman recovering from a foot sprain, and while Devin Duvernay has shown strides as an auxiliary target this season, no other Baltimore receiver has totaled more than 80 yards through six games. Jackson will be expected to fill some of the void created by the trade of Marquise Brown.
Despite his age and recent injury trouble, Jackson has remained a target for teams. The Rams cut him last season, but teams pursued the veteran; that process led Jackson to Las Vegas. The former Pro Bowler made an impact for the playoff-bound Raiders, doing so after helping the Rams early in the season.
Albeit on only 20 receptions, Jackson averaged a career-high 22.7 yards per catch last season. He posted 100-yard games for both of his 2021 teams — a Week 3 explosion against the Bucs as a Ram and a Thanksgiving assist to the Raiders, helping Las Vegas to a last-second win over Dallas — and showed more durability than he had during his second Philadelphia stint by playing in 16 games and the Raiders’ wild-card tilt.
Jackson missed 24 games during his second Eagles stay, but the Rams still took a flier on him. The Ravens will follow suit and will have one of the most impactful deep targets in NFL history prepared to help their cause. Jackson’s three Pro Bowls all came during his first stint with the Eagles, which ended after the 2013 season, but he has five 1,000-yard seasons and four years as the NFL’s top yards-per-catch player. For his career, Jackson has 11,110 receiving yards — 36th all time.
This move follows the Ravens’ in-season pickup of Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP, who was signed to the Ravens’ active roster without a practice squad bridge period, cleared the 50-snap barrier in his first game as a Raven. D-Jax’s recent injury and usage history suggests OC Greg Roman will not deploy him as a full-timer alongside Bateman, but his addition figures to open up the field for he and Mark Andrews going forward.